Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Madam Chair, thank you for yielding.
These spending allocations will increase discretionary spending by hundreds of billions of dollars to an all-time high of $1.5 trillion.
This nearly 9% increase above fiscal year 2021 comes at a time of record-high deficits and debt:
- This month, the national debt reached an astonishing $28.3 trillion.
- In the first 8 months of this fiscal year, we have already borrowed $2.1 trillion.
We must exercise fiscal responsibility and return to reasonable levels of federal spending, now that the pandemic hopefully is nearing an end.
Although these allocations do not show the exact split between defense and non-defense programs, we know the topline is based on the president's budget. Those numbers included an enormous, 17% increase to non-defense programs. At the same time, the president's budget cut defense spending to below inflation.
WASHINGTON – Today, the subcommittees on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration met to consider their appropriations bills for fiscal year 2022. The measures were reported out to the full committee with concerns raised by Republicans.
Madam Chair, thank you for presenting the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill today.
I appreciate the work that you and Ranking Member Carter have done this year, reaching across the aisle to fund many projects important to our Members.
Unfortunately, just like the bills we discussed yesterday, this bill is based on a funding framework that the Majority party developed without Republican support.
This difference of opinion on funding priorities and on policy positions could slow down our appropriations process this year.
There is nothing more important than funding our nation's military and veterans, and we must try to resolve these disagreements so that important bills like this one can be signed into law.
One area that is particularly concerning in this bill is that it fails to include long-standing language prohibiting the transfer of detainees currently at Guantanamo Bay to the United States.
WASHINGTON – Today, Appropriations Committee Republicans sent a letter to the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting details on unobligated and unspent funds provided to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter, led by the Republican Leader of the Committee, Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), comes as the Congress prepares to consider additional legislation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to begin by congratulating you for taking over the gavel of the Appropriations Committee as we begin our first official meeting of the 117th Congress.
I wish we were all in the same room today to hear the sound of that gavel, but I know you will continue to look for ways for us to meet in person.
Madam Chair, I want to say a few words about you personally. You have served with distinction on Appropriations for many years, and you have already shown you are going to hit the ground running.
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Kay Granger (TX), Republican Leader of the House Appropriations Committee, announced Republican subcommittee assignments for the 117th Congress.
"We have assembled a strong team that is committed to reviewing the federal budget, conducting oversight of taxpayer dollars, and upholding conservative principles.
"Each Member will be key to advancing Republican priorities, and I am honored to work alongside each of them as we fight for the American people."
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Kay Granger (TX), Republican Leader of the House Appropriations Committee, announced the Republican Steering Committee's recommendations for subcommittee ranking members and new Republican committee members for the 117th Congress. The recommendations will need to be ratified by the Republican Conference.
